Modern Indian Historical Figures

Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal, captured Calcutta (then a British East India Company stronghold) in June 1756. This led to the infamous 'Black Hole of Calcutta' incident where many British prisoners died. The capture prompted the British to send General Clive, who defeated Siraj-ud-Daula at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 - a turning point in British colonization of India. The other options are incorrect: Lord Wellesley was a later Governor-General, Tipu Sultan fought the British in Mysore, and Dupleix was French.

Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India and became the first Governor-General of independent India in 1947. Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Fort William much earlier (1773-1785), and General Cariappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India from 1848-1856. It allowed the British to annex any princely state where the ruler died without a male heir. Option B is correct.

The Pilgrim Tax, a tax on Hindu pilgrims visiting sacred sites, was abolished by Emperor Akbar as part of his liberal and inclusive religious policies. Option A is correct. Akbar was known for his religious tolerance.

Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate in 1510, establishing it as the Portuguese capital in Asia. He was the second Portuguese Governor of the Portuguese Indies.

Banda Singh Bahadur (originally Madho Das) was a Sikh ascetic whom Guru Gobind Singh met at Nanded in 1708. He was appointed as military commander to lead the Sikh resistance against the Mughals.

Warren Hastings served as the first Governor-General of Bengal from 1773 to 1785 under the Regulating Act of 1773. This effectively made him the first British Governor General in India. The Governor-Generalship of India (as opposed to just Bengal) came later with the Charter Act of 1833. William Bentinck, Cornwallis, and Minto were all later Governors General.

Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, presented the 3rd June Plan (Mountbatten Plan) in 1947 for the partition of India into India and Pakistan. This plan laid out the mechanism for partition, including the creation of a Boundary Commission under Radcliffe. The Muslim League had passed the Pakistan Resolution in 1940, but it was Mountbatten who presented the actual partition plan. Lord Wavell (previous Viceroy) had proposed the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) for a united India with grouping of provinces, which was rejected by the Congress.

Paramjit Singh Panjwar is the Chief of Khalistan Commando Force.

After the chaotic period following Sambhaji's death, Balaji Viswanath (the first Peshwa of the Bhat family) streamlined and reorganized the Maratha administration. He established a more centralized system, reformed revenue collection, and restored stability to the Maratha state.

Lord Lytton (1876-1880) aggressively pursued the 'forward policy' towards Afghanistan, which emphasized expanding British influence through military intervention and direct control rather than diplomatic accommodation. This policy led directly to the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880). His predecessors like Minto and Dufferin followed more cautious or defensive approaches toward the region.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar founded Abhinava Bharat (Young India) around 1904 as a revolutionary secret society to fight British colonial rule through armed struggle. It was an extension of the earlier Mitra Mela and inspired several revolutionaries. R.G. Bhandarkar was a noted scholar, C.R. Das was a lawyer-politician, and Bhagat Singh was a later revolutionary not associated with founding this organization.

Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India from 1899-1905, partitioned Bengal in 1905 officially for administrative convenience but actually to divide the Hindu-Muslim population along communal lines and weaken the nationalist movement. The partition was later annulled in 1911.

Aurangzeb stopped the practice of Jharokha Darshan (daily appearance at the palace balcony to give public audience) as he considered it against Islamic principles. His orthodox religious views led him to discontinue this Mughal tradition that had been followed by Akbar, Jehangir, and Shahjahan to maintain a visible connection with their subjects.

Khudad Dad Khan (also spelled Khuda Dad Khan) was the first Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1915 during World War I for his gallantry at the Battle of Loos. He served in the 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis. The other names listed are not historical Victoria Cross recipients from India.